However, casting has yet to be announced, details of the gala nights (Lopatkina and the Final) are missing, and no program has been announced for March 16...the night that is rumored to be set-aside for Vishneva's 'Beauty in Motion.'

Balletomanes traveling to St. Petersburg for the Festival may also want to consider attending a performance or two at other ballet venues in the city. For example, the "2nd company" of the city -- the Mikhailovsky (ex Maly/Moussorgsky) Theater Ballet, led by Farouk Ruzimatov and Oleg Vinogradov -- will be presenting a brand-new CORSAIRE on March 13, the night before the start of the Mariinsky Fest (and repeating it several times during the Festival period). Also, the gorgeous little neo-classical theater in the Hermitage-Winter Palace will be presenting some ballets during this period, including a complete SLEEPING BEAUTY on March 21 (the night of the Festival's GISELLE). Finally, although not yet announced, the annual "Dance Open Festival" at the Conservatory -- across the street from the Mariinsky -- usually takes place in tandem with the Mariinsky Fest. So lots will be happening.

For example, the "2nd company" of the city -- the Maly/Moussorgsky Theater Ballet, led by Farouk Ruzimatov and Oleg Vinogradov -- will be presenting CORSAIRE on March 13, the night before the start of the Mariinsky Fest (and repeating it several times during the Festival period).

So that's where Vinogradov ended up! (I thought after the disastrous experience with his version of Swan Lake he got exiled from the city.) I've heard that the Maly performance version of Le Corsaire is more complete than the Mariinsky version, too.

Sacto, I know that you did not mean anything negative at all but I will 'expand on' your comment about Mr. Vinogradov's whereabouts. In fact, between finishing his directorship at the Mariinsky in '95/96 and commencing his present assignment as a 'consultant' to the Maly/Mikahilovsky Theater Ballet, he successfully headed the Universal Ballet Company of Seoul, Korea, as well as the Washington, DC-based "Kirov Academy" (aka, formerly, Universal Ballet Academy). In other words, he didn't simply jump from one St. Petersburg troupe to another.

p.s. Vinogradov headed the Maly in the mid-1970s...what led to his appointment to the Mariinsky in the late-70s. So, in fact, he seems to have gone Full Circle.

OK - back to discussion on this yr's Mariinsky Festival schedule, please. Once the festival begins, I will start a new topic for reviews and reports of the actual performances. I'll definitely try to post something on the Maly CORSAIRE, too.

Balletomanes traveling to St. Petersburg for the Festival may also want to consider attending a performance or two at other ballet venues in the city. For example, the "2nd company" of the city -- the Maly/Moussorgsky Theater Ballet, led by Farouk Ruzimatov and Oleg Vinogradov -- will be presenting CORSAIRE on March 13,

Just to correct the name of the theatre and company name.

The theatre in question has since 2007 reverted to its original name of the Mikhailovsky and the ballet company has taken its name. In this same year the Russian businessman Vladimir Kekhman was appointed General Director of the theatre and donated $25 million rubles for its renovation and appointed Yelena Obratsova to take charge of the opera and Farouk Ruzimatov as Artistic Director of the ballet.

As regards Oleg Vinogradov’s involvement with the theatre, forgive my poor translation but in the Russian newspaper “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” of 19 January 2009 Irina Gubskaya states that Vinogradov”… without noise left the Mikhailovsky Theatre and no joint plans remain.”

The Mariinsky website now has a page devoted to the Festival offerings. Still no casting. No performance slated for the Monday night -- the night that was rumored to be Vishneva's 'Beauty in Motion' show.

Thanks for this, chiapuris. Like you, I am not at all interested in seeing 'Beauty in Motion.' City Center 2008 was enough for me, thank you. A well-intentioned vanity project...but vanity project nonetheless. It sounds to me, if it is indeed Beauty in Motion, that Vishneva and her manager-producer (Danielian?) may be trying to strike a deal with the Mariinsky for control of box-office receipts. I say - enough is enough. The Mariinsky should not be in the business of 'selling its stage' to the highest bidder. If Vishneva wants to present Beauty in Motion as a private enterprise, let her rent the Alexandrinsky or even the Oktyabrisky Concert Hall, like Volochkova and other private dancers do. Please do not cheapen the grand Mariinsky name.

Instead of Beauty in Motion, I am hoping that another regular-repertory ballet may be added, e.g., a Raymonda, never seen in its entirety at a Mariinsky Festival.

p.s. To follow-up on Leonid's earlier post, I see that the Mikhailovsky Ballet (ex-Maly, ex-Mussogsky) now has its own new slick website:

I also see that the Fri., March 13 Le Corsaire (repeated multiple times in March '09) will be brand new, so I am almost certain that the Matvienkos will be performing the first night. The old Peter Gusev production that I assumed this would be is being laid to rest. [They DO have a bit of chutzpa in doing this...scheduling a major full-length premiere the night after the Bolshoi will premiere its Coppelia in Moscow...and the night before the premiere of the Mariinsky's Little Humpbacked Horse! I predict that Russian balletomanes from the two cities will be shuttling back-and-forth to take-in all of the ballet premieres during the four-day period. It will be a crazy weekend of full-length classical ballet premieres in the two 'ballet capitals' of Russia.]

Also, I see that ex-Kirov (& Maly) luminaries, Alla Osipenko and Nikita Dolgushin, are the head coaches of the troupe. Furthermore, they keep snapping-up great dancers for their ranks...including former Eifman prima, Vera Arbuzova (or Red Giselle fame), who just joined.

Vishneva could not post anything until a 'deal' is struck, canbelto. Most interesting is that she lists NO Mariinsky Festival performances at all, which is most disappointing, as she was originally (unofficially) scheduled for a performance of DON Q with Marcello Gomes on March 21.

I sure hope that all of the "early unofficial" foreign guests -- Bouder, Hallberg, Gomes and Ganio -- will make the trip and dance in something, even if just a small gala piece on the last night.

I also see that the Fri., March 13 Le Corsaire (repeated multiple times in March '09) will be brand new, so I am almost certain that the Matvienkos will be performing the first night. The old Peter Gusev production that I assumed this would be is being laid to rest. [They DO have a bit of chutzpa in doing this...scheduling a major full-length premiere the night after the Bolshoi will premiere its Coppelia in Moscow...and the night before the premiere of the Mariinsky's Little Humpbacked Horse! I predict that Russian balletomanes from the two cities will be shuttling back-and-forth to take-in all of the ballet premieres during the four-day period. It will be a crazy weekend of full-length classical ballet premieres in the two 'ballet capitals' of Russia.]

You can forget about getting tickets on flights and passenger train trips between Moscow and St. Petersburg on those few days.

By the way, I read that Vladimir Shklyarov is practicing for the role of Ivan in the new production of Little Humbacked Horse. He's a natural for the role since he does look a lot like the illustrations of Ivan from the 1964 Soviet-era book of the poem.

Also, I see from Diana Vishneva's website that she will be our Giselle on the 21st and will also take part in the closing Gala on the 22nd.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I believe that we finally have a complete Mariinsky Festival schedule exactly one month before its opening...though not yet with confirmed casting within the Mariinsky website. They must still be finalizing details with guests.